First Impressions Aren't Always Right
by BeaRsBeeTsBattleStarGalacticAx
Summary: Monica wasn't the only one Chandler got a bad first impression of Thanksgiving of 1988... I suck at summaries so READ TO FIND OUT MORE
1. Chapter 1

(AN: What can I say… I've been watching _a lot _of Friends lately. This came to me while watching it of course… I don't own anything except seasons 1-4 =/).

**Sara's POV **

"I can carry it myself Ross, really," I tell my older cousin as we walk up the stairs of my cousin Monica's apartment building.

"No no, you're not lifting a finger," he tells me. "You've been on the train all day; you're not carrying these heavy bags all the way up the stairs."

"Fine," I sigh, walking ahead of him. I walk up the first flight of stairs and onto the landing of the second floor. I wait for Ross, who is huffing and puffing trying to get up the stairs.

"Monica's apartment…" he tries to catch his breath. "Is right down this hallway."

"Okay," I say, walking down the hallway.

"Number 20," he yells.

I turn around and watch him struggle with the suitcases. I kind of want to laugh, being a _little _immature for a 22-year-old, but I hold back.

"Are you _positive _you don't need help?" I yell down the hallway.

* * *

**Normal POV**

"She's here," Monica tells her friends, who are sitting in the living room and in the kitchen. "I can hear her yelling at Ross about something."

They listen and hear a girl's voice coming from outside the door.

"I'm telling you Ross, I can carry that!" the girl cries.

"Yup that's definitely her," Monica laughs.

"So… is this cousin of yo-" Joey starts, but Monica cuts him off.

"Yeah Joey, she's single," she tells him.

"How did you know?" he asked.

"I've known you for 4 years," she says. "You hit on anything with a pulse."

He shrugs.

Suddenly, the door of Monica and Rachel's bursts open, and a girl who looks somewhere in her early twenties walks into the apartment. She has brown hair and big brown eyes, and is no more than 5' 1".

"Hi!!!" she exclaims.

Monica runs over to her and they hug.

"Guys, this is Sara," Monica says, introducing her cousin to her friends. "Sara, this is everyone."

"Hi, I'm Phoebe," says a blonde woman who looks in her mid-twenties. She's wearing an… eccentric outfit.

Joey walks over to her.

"How you doin'?" he asks her. She stifles a laugh.

"Joey, already?" Ross asks his friend as he enters the apartment. "She hasn't even been here for ten minutes!"

Joey smiles sheepishly and goes into the kitchen.

"That's just Joey," Ross tells Sara. "You'll learn to like him."

"Hi, I'm Rachel, Ross' _ex_-girlfriend," Rachel says.

"I remember you," Sara tells her. "Your nose is… looking better."

"Yeah," she says. "I got a nose job."

"Chandler," Chandler says introducing himself to the younger girl.

She studies him for a moment, and then suddenly her eyes widen.

"Nice to see you're not sporting the Flock of Seagulls haircut anymore," she tells him.

He laughs a little and rubs the top of his head.

"Yeah, I sort of outgrew it," he says. "So how've things been? The last time I saw you was when Monica cut my pinky toe off."

"That's right!" she exclaims. "God, that was forever ago."

"Sara, why don't you sit down on the couch," Ross says. "You've had a long day."

"Awwh that's so cute," Phoebe says. "Ross taking care of his little cousin."

"I'm only 5 years younger than him," she says, sitting down on the couch in between Monica and Chandler.

"Okay, we haven't seen each other in what? 10 years?" Monica says, turning to face Sara. "How've things been?"

"Well, I'm a teacher now, and before I moved off Long Island I was living with some friends," she explains.

"A boyfriend?" Joey asks, sitting down on the loveseat.

Monica glares at him.

"_No, _no boyfriends," she says solemnly.

There's an awkward silence in the room.

"So, when was the last time you saw Ross and Monica and Rachel… oh and Chandler?" Phoebe asks.

"It was Thanksgiving of 1988," Ross starts. "We were all over at my parents' house for the day, and well, everyone knows the story."

"No we don't," Joey says with a smirk.

Chandler rolls his eyes.

"Monica dropped a knife and it landed on Chandler's pinky toe," Ross tells them. "And when Sara walked in the kitchen and saw the blood, she fainted."

"You're squeamish?" Rachel asks Sara.

"Very," she tells her. "Every time I see blood, no matter how little, I get sick to my stomach."

"That's why I don't understand how you don't hate Thanksgiving as much as I do," Chandler tells Sara. "Bad things always happen on that holiday…"


	2. Chapter 2

(AN: Okay, so I know the first chapter was pretty boring… this one will definitely make up for it!! Remember to read and review, because reviews to me are like Bay Watch to Joey and Chandler.)

**I forgot to put this in the first chapter… the full title of the story is TOW Ross and Monica's Cousin/TO After All the Heartbreak.**

It's a few days after Sara's arrival, and Ross and Monica's parents, Sara's aunt and uncle Jack and Judy, are coming over for dinner. Monica is running around her and Rachel's apartment frantically, cooking the food and getting ready. Sara is sitting on the couch, watching whatever is on TV.

"Mon, there's nothing to worry about," Sara assures her.

"Oh yes there is," Monica says. "My parents are always comparing me to Ross, so I have to impress them every time they come over here."

"It can't be that bad," she says.

"Come help me stir this sauce while I go get ready," Monica tells her younger cousin.

Sara gets up from the couch, goes into the kitchen and cautiously starts to stir the marinara sauce that's boiling on the stove.

Suddenly, the door opens, making Sara jump. She turns around to see Chandler wearing matching gray sweatpants. His hair is messy and it looks like he hasn't showered in days.

"Do you have any cream cheese?" he asks, walking right past her and into the fridge.

"I think there's some in there," she tells him, still a little startled. "What happened?"

"Kathy broke up with me," he says bluntly. "I loved her… or at least, I thought I did."

"She doesn't know what she lost," she tells him.

He gives her a quizzical look.

"You're a great guy Chandler," she says, going back to stirring the sauce and not looking at him. "You're nice, and funny, and all that other stuff."

"You're just saying that," he says, walking into the middle of the main room. "To everybody in our little group, I'm just Chandler."

With that, he walks out of the apartment.

Monica comes out of her room, wearing a black skirt and a white shirt.

"Isn't that my shirt?" Sara asks her.

"I couldn't find anything so I grabbed this out of your suitcase," she tells her cousin. "Sorry, I'm just freaking out a little."

"A little?" Sara asks, laughing a little.

"Maybe a lot okay?" she says.

"Calm down Monica, everything's gonna be fine," Sara assures her. "Where's Ross?"

"He should be over any minute, he had to work a little later than usual," Monica tells her.

The apartment door opens, and Ross enters, wearing a shirt and tie.

"Hey," Sara says.

"Hi," Ross says in his usual way.

"What's wrong?" she asks, sounding concerned.

"Nothing, I just miss Rachel," he says solemnly.

"You shouldn't have cheated on her then," Monica says, putting food on her and Rachel's small kitchen table.

"We were on a break!" Ross shouts.

Monica rolls her eyes at her brother, and he bumps his fists together at her.

"What was that?" Sara asks them.

"Oh, that's just what me and Monica used t-"

"Hello hello!" Jack Geller exclaims as he and his wife Judy enter the apartment.

"Hi Uncle Jack!" Sara says, getting up from the kitchen table. "Aunt Judy!"

"Sara!" Judy exclaims, hugging her. "How are you darling?"

"I'm doing pretty well," she tells her.

"That's good," she says.

"So Ross," Jack says, clapping his hand on his son's shoulder. "How are things at the museum?"

"Same old same old," Ross tells his dad.

"Dinner's on the table," Monica announces. "I made spaghetti."

"You told me on the phone you were making lasagna!" Jack says. "I was expecting lasagna!"

"You shouldn't have told him that honey," Judy tells her daughter. "You know how he latches onto things…"

"I'm sorry," Monica says quietly.

"It's alright," Jack says, sounding disappointed. "You know I love anything my little Harmonica makes."

Monica smiles and everyone starts eating.

"This is really good Mon," Ross says, putting another mouthful on his fork.

"It really is sweetheart," Judy assures her.

Ross clears his throat awkwardly.

"Sara's teaching now," he says suddenly.

"That's wonderful dear," Judy tells her niece.

"Yeah, that's great," Jack agrees. "I always knew our little Sara Lee would be teaching kids how to add up numbers and wiping their snotty noses."

"So, we know _Monica _is with that millionaire," Judy says. "What about you Sara?"

"No, actually I'm not," she tells her aunt and uncle.

"That's too bad," she says in a fake tone.

"Not after tomorrow night you're not," Joey says, entering the kitchen. "I got you a date!"

"What?" she asks him in disbelief.

"Yup," he says, beaming.

"Great," she says sarcastically.

* * *

"What's he like?" Sara asks Joey. She's sitting on the kitchen counter of Joey and Chandler's apartment later that night.

"Well, he's blonde… and he's an actor," he tells her.

"I figured he was an actor," she says with sarcasm. "Come on, what's he _like_? Is he funny, or arrogant, or sensitive…?"

"Oh, I dunno," he says. "I just met him today."

"What?" she asks in disbelief. "Unbelievable!"

"What's going on? I hear screaming," Chandler says, walking out of his room. He's still wearing the same outfit he was wearing a few days before.

"I'm sorry, were we interrupting your sulking?" Sara asks him, dead-pan.

"Nyeah," he says, mocking her.

* * *

"Oh my God, you look great!" Rachel beams. "I told you a little more makeup wouldn't hurt…"

Rachel and Monica have spent the whole afternoon getting Sara ready for her date with the guy Joey set her up with. She doesn't know his name or what he looks like, so she had a weird feeling about how things were going to go.

"Guys, I know _nothing _about him," she tells her friends.

"So it's a blind date, what's the worst that could happen?" Monica asks her cousin.

"It could go _horribly _wrong, that's what!" Sara exclaims.

"Don't be such a worry wart," Rachel says. "Everything's gonna be fine."

* * *

LATER THAT NIGHT

Sara is sitting on the couch in Monica and Rachel's apartment by herself, waiting for her date. She looks at the clock on the oven, and it says 8:01, and Joey told her that her date was going to pick her up at 7:00. She frowns.

Suddenly, there's a knock on the door, making her practically jump out of her skin. Sara runs to the door, only to see Chandler's annoyed face through the peephole. She opens the door for him.

"Oh hey Chandler," she says, sounding disappointed.

"You look like you were expecting someone else," he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"My date was supposed pick me up an hour ago!" she cries.

"Well… if I wasn't mistaken, you've been stood up," Chandler says.

"Don't remind me," she mumbles.

Chandler looks around nervously.

"Listen," he says, sitting on the arm of the couch. "Joey has a date, so he won't be coming home till later, and I know everyone else is working late…"

"Oh God Chandler, no!" she yells. "I'm not having pity sex with you!"

"A wha- that's not what I meant!" he yells. "I was gonna ask you if wanted to come over to have a drink! I'm not Joey…"

"Okay then, why not?" she says, standing up. "I have nowhere else to go…"

"Come on, we go wallow in each other's sorrow," he says. He opens the door and lets her go in front of him.

They go across the hall and into Joey and Chandler's apartment. Sara plops down onto one of the Barca loungers. Chandler goes into the cabinets and takes out a few bottles of liquor and wine.

"What do you want?" he asks her.

"Coke and rum," she tells him flatly.

He takes a bottle of Coke out of the refrigerator and mixes it in with the rum.

"This sucks," Sara says. "I'm all pretty and I have nowhere to go!"

"It's gonna be a _long _night," Chandler says to himself, making himself a drink.


	3. Chapter 3

(Funny story… I was watching Friends and I got inspired to write more. That'll probably be happening a lot this week because I technically have off this week because of midterms, but that also means I probably won't be uploading as much as usual because I have to study…)

"You got _drunk _in my apartment, and I wasn't there to see it?!" Joey cries.

"It wasn't like that Joe," Sara tells him. "That guy you set me up with, he stood me up."

Everyone, including Sara, is sitting in Central Perk.

"Again, you got drunk in my apartment and I wasn't there to see it?!" he cries again.

She rolls her eyes at him.

"It was pretty bad," Chandler adds. "She couldn't even stand up." Ross glares at him. "You _still _don't believe me?"

"No," Ross says simply. "You're lonely, she was lonely, none of us were home except you two…"

"Oh please Ross! You're overreacting," Monica says to her brother.

"Wait! Wait a minute," Phoebe suddenly exclaims. She takes Ross' hand. "You have a _very _red aura… red means angry."

"_Red means angry_," Ross says, mocking her.

"Okay so anyway," Monica says, turning towards Sara, who is sitting between her and Chandler. "There's this guy I work with, Mike, who I think you'd _really _like. He's the piano player for the restaurant, and he's really nice, and funny."

"I don't know, I gotta think about it," she tells her cousin. "Ya know, 'cause of everything that's been happening lately…"

"Come on, just go on one date with the guy," Rachel says. "You might end up regretting it if you don't try."

"You know what?" Sara asks rhetorically. "Set me up with this Mike guy."

"Really? Great!" Monica exclaims.

"So um Chandler," Joey says. "Just how drunk was Sara last night?"

Chandler glares at him.

* * *

Ross, Sara, Monica and Phoebe are hanging out at Monica and Rachel's apartment.

"Ross," Sara says innocently.

"Whatever it is, I'm not doing it," he says flatly.

"You didn't even let me tell you what I was going to say!" she argues.

"Fine, tell me," he says.

"Well, I'm teaching the kids about dinosaurs this week an-"she says, pouring herself some more soda before he stops her mid-sentence.

"You want me to teach the kids about dinosaurs?" he asks, sounding excited.

"Yes actually," she tells him. "And I was wondering if you could bring in some fossils, or replicas, because they're 22 7-year-olds, they get bored fast."

"I don't know…" he starts. "Some of the artifacts are very delicate…"

"Just do what you can? Please?" she asks.

He thinks for a minute, and then smiles. "Sure, I'll come to your school," he tells her. "Is tomorrow okay?"

"Perfect," she says.

"You know Ross," Phoebe says. "I've been wondering, isn't it awkward hanging with a bunch of girls when Chandler and Joey aren't around?"

"Not at all," he tells her. "You guys are my best friends, just like Chandler and Joey are."

"Oh, then never mind," she says.

"What Pheebs?" he asks.

"Just… never mind," she says again.

They all give her confused looks.

* * *

It's the next morning, and Joey, Chandler, Ross and Sara are at Monica and Rachel's apartment, just like every other morning. Chandler, Joey, Sara, and Ross are sitting at the small table in the middle of the kitchen, and Monica is making pancakes.

"Okay, so if Snoopy is a dog and Woodstock is a bird…" Chandler says. "Then how do they understand each other?"

Joey shrugs.

"Oh my God, it's already 7:46!" Sara exclaims, looking at the clock on the stove. "Mon, these pancakes are really good and everything, but we gotta go, c'mon Ross."

She gets up from the table, Ross following behind her.

"Wait, I almost forgot," he says. He goes back to the table and pulls out a trunk on wheels.

"Oh wow, is the geek convention in town?" Chandler asks him.

"Very funny," he mumbles.

"Stop being babies," Monica says. Sara and Ross head out the door. "Go have fun teaching those kids!"

"I'm sure they'll all be asleep within the first 10 minutes!" Chandler calls, smirking.

* * *

"Okay guys, I have someone very special to teach you more about dinosaurs today," Sara tells her class. They're sitting on the round carpet in the back of the room, and she is standing in front of them. "He works at the Museum of Natural History… everyone say hello to Mr. Geller!"

Ross steps in front of the class, holding a couple of the fossils from his trunk.

"Hello Mr. Geller!" the kids scream.

"Hi kids," he says. "My name is Mr. Geller, and I'm here today to show you things like this." He holds up a pterodactyl egg.

"Is that a _real _egg?" a little girl with pigtails asked.

"Yes it is," he tells her.

"Wait a second," a boy with blond spiked up hair says. "Your last name is Geller, and Ms. Geller's last name is Geller… are you two _married_?"

Ross and Sara look at each other, about to burst out laughing.

"We're not married Andrew," Sara tells him. "Mr. Geller is my cousin."

"Oh okay," he says simply.

"Alright," Ross breathes. He goes back over to the trunk of fossils. "_This _is a footprint from a dinosaur that was alive in the Cretaceous period." He gives it to Sara to show the class.

* * *

"He said yes," Monica says in a sing-song voice, entering her and Rachel's apartment. Sara and Chandler are sitting on the couch, watching a movie on TV.

"What?" she asks, turning around.

"Mike said he'd go on a date with you!" she tells her younger cousin.

"Well isn't this just a 'dear diary' moment," Chandler quips.

"We know _nothing _about each other," Sara says.

"So it's a blind date! Blind dates are always fun," she says.

"Not when your mom sets you up with the neighbor girl with the headgear just so she can sleep with her dad," Chandler says.

They both look at him with puzzled looks on their faces.

"I'm serious! That really happened!" he tells them.

"When's he picking me up?" Sara asks Monica.

"You're meeting him down at Central Perk at 5," Monica says enthusiastically.

"Great," she says flatly. "What time is it now?"

"It's time for you to get a watch," Chandler says. He laughs at his own joke.

"That one is older than we are," she says.

"But it's still so funny!" he cries.

"What time is it?" she asks again.

"Umm… 4:33," Monica informs her.

"Should I go now? I mean, I don't wanna be late," she says.

"Remember what I always say: better to be early, a good impression you will make, surely."

Both Chandler and Sara roll their eyes and Sara goes into Monica's bedroom, where her suitcase is.

About fifteen minutes later, Sara emerges from her cousin's room. She's wearing a blue shirt, a pair of dark wash jeans, and a simple pair of flats.

"How do I look?" she asks, turning around.

Chandler chokes on his drink.

"Awesome!" Monica beams. She gives Chandler a "what was that all about?" look.

"Good," she says. "I wanna make a good impression on this guy."

"Get a move on," she tells her younger cousin. "It's already 4:49."

"Alright alright," she laughs. "Let me just get a sweater and I'll be out of your guys' hair."

She goes into Monica's room again.

"What was that all about?" Monica whispers to her friend, almost yelling.

"What?" he asks, playing dumb.

"That choking sound you made when Sara came out all dressed up," she says, putting her hands on her hips.

He ignores her.

"All I'm saying is don't put the moves on her, please," she tells him.

"Wh-why would I make a move on your cousin? I'm not interested in her like that," he says.

"Okay, I'm just making sure," she says.

Sara comes back out into the main room wearing a yellow cardigan.

"See you guys later," she says, grabbing her purse from the table.

"Have _fun_," Monica says as she walks out the door.

Sara walks through the door of Central Perk apprehensively. She heard almost everything that Chandler and Monica had said, but it didn't faze her. She felt exactly the same way about Chandler as he felt about her: just a friend. A close friend, but still just a friend. She has no idea what this Mike guy looks like, except that he has dark hair and green eyes.

_That could be anyone, she thinks, sitting down on the couch she was oh so familiar with. _

She puts her purse on the coffee table and decides to get a cup of coffee. She goes up to the counter.

"Hey Gunther," she says. "Can just have a cup of coffee?"

"Sure hold on," he says, turning around to the coffee machine. "Is Rachel here?"

"Um, no," she says, sounding confused. "Why?"

He doesn't answer her and hands her the steaming hot cup of coffee. She takes it, and it's extremely hot. She drops the cup, its contents spilling on the guy standing next to her's shirt.

"Shit," she curses.

"It's a little hot," he tells her.

She gives him a "you could've told me that before I picked it up" look. Then she turns to the guy she spilled her coffee on.

"I am _so _sorry," Sara tells him. Suddenly, her jaw goes a little slack; the guy has dark hair and green eyes, just like Monica had described Mike. He's even more attractive than she pictured him. He gives her a confused look.

"You alright?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'll… go get some napkins," she tells him.

"Thanks," he says. "I hope this dries by the time my date gets here… if I can find her."

She dabs the dark spot where the coffee stained his light green Oxford shirt. She notices how it makes his eyes stand out.

"So, you're supposed to be on a blind date?" she asks him.

"Yeah," he says.

"What a coincidence," she says. "So am I."

"Are you…?" he asks nervously.

"Sara Geller," she says.

"I… wow," he stammers. "Monica didn't tell you'd be so…"

They walk back over to the couch.

"Klutzy? Awkward?" she asks.

"No no, she said only good things about you," he informs her.

"Leave it to my cousin to leave out my flaws," she mumbles.

* * *

Sara and Mike are standing outside of Monica and Rachel's apartment.

"I had a good time, really," Mike tells her.

"You mean _after _I spilled my coffee on your shirt?" she asks.

"Yeah," he laughs. "But it was one shirt, it's no big deal."

"Are you sure?" she asks him, getting nervous.

"_Yes_," he tells her for the millionth time. "Monica told me I would be going on a date with a pretty, fun, cool girl… and I think she was right."

She smiles, and then blushes.

"Well, I should really… get inside," she tells him. "Everyone's probably waiting at the door."

She turns to open the door, but Mike stops her.

"Wait," he says.

He gives her a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye," she says giddily.

He smiles, and then she turns again to open the door. She enters the apartment, and Ross, Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, and Chandler are scattered around the kitchen and living room.

"How was it?" Monica asks her the second she closes the door.

"Oh my _God_ Monica," Sara says, leaning against the door. "At first I thought it was going to be a complete disaster, because I spilled my coffee on him, but I didn't know it was him… but then everything just clicked!"

"Was he cute?" Rachel asks.

"Mhmm," Sara tells her dreamily. "He has these pretty green eyes and the cutest smile…"

"And he has the nicest hair," Ross says, mocking her.

"Oh, and he has the sexiest voice," Chandler says, mocking her as well. They all look at him like he's crazy. "Did I go too far?"

"Yeah," Ross says.

"So, he was cute," Rachel says.

"He was so nice too," Sara says. "I kept apologizing about the coffee thing, and he was cool with it."

"That's great sweetie," Monica tells her cousin.

"Is there gonna be a second date?" Phoebe asks.

"Yup, he's taking me to the movies on Tuesday," she tells them.

"I'm meeting this guy before any second date," Ross tells his younger cousin.

"Alright alright," she sighs.

(AN: This chapter took me FOREVER to write!!! It's almost 5 pages on Microsoft Word… so that explains a lot. Remember to read and review!!)


	4. Chapter 4

The six- er, seven friends are sitting on the couch in Central Perk as usual. A waitress hands Rachel a cup of coffee and Sara a cup of hot chocolate.

"Um Chandler," Sara says. "I know you work in an office, but what do you _do_?"

"Well, in layman's terms, I'm an executive specializing in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration," he tells her.

"Oh, okay," is all she says.

Suddenly, Joey comes running into the coffee shop.

"Guys guess what?" Joey asks, out of breath.

"You went one day without hitting on the girl at the Xerox place?" Monica asks him.

"No no, I can never go a day without talkin' to her," Joey says with a grin.

"So what's the big news Joe?" Ross asks.

"I got a part in a movie!" he beams. They all look at him like it's no big deal. "I'm serious guys; I got a real part in a movie!"

"What movie?" Phoebe asks.

"Supposedly it doesn't have a title yet," he tells them. "But _Robert DeNiro _is in it! See, he's like this big time club owner, and he has like these rivals who're like big business, and they try to buy out his club. I play one of his sons!"

"That's great man," Chandler says, giving his friend a pat on the back.

"I know!" Joey says enthusiastically.

The bells above the front door of Central Perk make a clamber, signaling that someone has entered the coffee shop. The six friends, well mostly Chandler, wouldn't have turned around if he hadn't heard: Oh… my… GOD!! Chandler, you cut all your hair off!"

He whips his head around, practically giving himself whiplash, to see his annoying ex-girlfriend, Janice Litman-Goralnik.

"Ja-Janice?" he asks, wincing.

"Yes it's Janice! Who did you think it was, Hilary Clinton?" she asks in her nasally voice.

"I think I would've been happier if it was her," he mumbles under his breath.

"Hello everyone," she says, walking over to where they're all sitting. She sees Sara. "Who is this? A girlfriend?"

"_No_," he tells her with a smirk. "I'm not seeing anyone…"

"She's mine and Ross' cousin Sara," Monica explains. "She lives with Rachel and me."

"I _thought _she looked a lot like you two," she says, laughing her annoying laugh.

Sara cringes at the sound of her laugh.

"Janice, Chandler's ex-girlfriend," she says, shaking the younger girl's hand.

"I thought Kathy was…" she says under her breath.

"Before Kathy," Chandler tells her. "And that one ended horribly too."

"So… Janice," Monica says, trying to start a conversation. "How've things been?"

"Good," she tells them. "I'm back with my husband."

"We know," Joey says flatly. "I saw you making out with him in his office."

_Wow, Sara thinks. Chandler's been through a lot… first this Janice girl and him go out- I can imagine how long that lasted- and then Kathy breaks his heart too! I guess he just has bad luck with women… _

"Oh, and the baby is doing well," she says. "Do you guys wanna see some pictures?" She takes out her wallet and everyone just looks at her. "Here he is at the park, oh and here he is on his first birthday!"

* * *

"I already told you Sara, I'm meeting this Mike guy tonight!" Ross says.

"Ross calm down," Monica tells her brother. "First of all, Sara's 23, not 15, and second; you've all met Mike before."

"We have?" Rachel asks.

"Remember, when you guys had dinner at my restaurant?" she asks her friends. "He was the guy playing the piano, and then we all hung out at Central Perk after?"

"Oh yeah, now I remember," Rachel says.

Just then, the intercom in Monica and Rachel's apartment beeps, signaling that someone is downstairs.

"That's him!" Sara exclaims. She jumps up from the couch and presses the button. "Hi Mike!"

"Hey," he says nervously. "Can I come up? I mean, should I?"

"Yeah, my cousin wants to meet you," she sighs.

"Um, okay, I'll be right up," he tells her.

She presses another button, and within a few minutes, there's someone at the door.

The six friends look towards the door.

"Hey," she says.

"Hi," he says. He enters the apartment nervously.

Monica, Chandler, Joey, Ross Phoebe and Rachel are all looking at them.

"Everyone, this is Mike," Sara says, walking into the living room. "Mike, this is everyone."

There's a chorus of "hey"'s and "hi"'s.

"We've met before," Monica tells him, shaking his hand.

"Mike…" Ross says, getting up from the chair. "Can I talk to you, outside?"

"Uh sure Ross," he says stutters. The two get up and Mike looks back at Sara nervously. The apartment door closes, leaving the others to wonder what they're talking about.

"I can't believe this," Sara breathes. "He's more protective over me than his own sister!"

"It's only because he cares about you," Monica says.

"I guess you're right," she says.

Suddenly the door opens again, and Mike walks in the apartment, Ross behind him. He kind of looked like a kid that had just gotten reprimanded by his teacher.

"Well, have fun you guys!" Phoebe exclaims.

Mike and Sara walk out the apartment.

* * *

"That was a great movie," Mike says as he and Sara walk down the hallway to Monica and Rachel's apartment.

"I know!" Sara cries. "I didn't think I would laugh that hard!"

"You almost got us kicked out of the theater," he laughs.

"Yeah, well, I laugh like Horshack," she says. They stop in front of apartment 20. "Here we are…"

"Yup," he says, popping the P.

He leans down a little, and she returns the favor and goes on her tip-toes. There's almost no space between them when Sara trips. Her head bashes into Mike's face, and suddenly he puts his hands over his face.

"What? What happened?" she panics.

He looks up, his eyes a little glossy, and there's blood dripping from his nose.

"Oh my God!" she cries. "Yo-Your nose is bleeding! Let me bring you inside…"

"No, I'm fine," Mike tells her. "I'll just walk home with blood pouring out of my nose."

"You're starting to sound like Chandler," she jokes. "Come on, it's getting on your shirt."

He puts a hand over his nose so it doesn't get all over the place, and Sara takes the other and leads him into the apartment.

"Mon, Mike's got a bloody nose," she yells. "I would try to help him but, you know."

"Oh God," Monica exclaims, scurrying over to the couple. "You go lie down… and you sit."

"Hang in there," Sara tells Mike with a smile before lying down on the couch. Monica sits Mike down in the kitchen and cleans up his nose.

"What happened?" Ross asks, coming out of the bathroom. "I heard yelling."

"I, um, gave Mike a bloody nose," Sara tells her cousin sheepishly.

"What?" he asks, his voice cracking a bit. "Waaaaait a minute…"

He doesn't get to finish, because the door swings open and Joey and Chandler come bursting through the door with a couple of pizzas.

"What's goin' on?" Joey asks.

"Sara gave Mike a bloody nose," Rachel tells them.

Joey smiles his usual crooked smile. "You guys were havin' pre-sex make out!" he exclaims.

Ross glares at his little cousin.

"No no, it wasn't like that," she assures them. "We were just having… a goodnight kiss."

"_Sure _you were," Joey says with a wink.


	5. Chapter 5

"I gotta go to work," Chandler says unenthusiastically. "Doug'll shit puppies if I'm late again… last time I told him I was late because I was arguing with the Nuts 4 Nuts guy on Broadway."

"Shit puppies?" Sara asks him, almost spitting out her milk.

"It's not a pretty sight," he laughs, walking out the door. "See you kids later."

"I almost forgot!" Ross suddenly exclaims. "Ben's coming over this afternoon, and he's staying for the weekend."

"Wow Ross, you forgot about your own son," Rachel says, trying to get on his nerves. Even though they broke up months ago, they still held a grudge against each other, because Ross had slept with the girl at the Xerox place after Rachel had supposedly told him "they were on a break" and Rachel got mad at him because she said they weren't and that technically meant he cheated on her.

"Ha ha," he says sarcastically. "Welp, I gotta get to the museum… there's gonna be a presentation on the Jurassic Era!"

"Are they showing 'Jurassic Park'?" Joey asks, getting excited.

"No Joey," Ross says. "It's a real presentation… like with scholars and stuff."

"Oh," he says simply. "Then I'm not interested."

* * *

"Hi!" Carol, Ross' ex-wife who was now a lesbian exclaims, walking into Monica and Rachel's apartment.

"My little boy!" Ross cries. "Oh Ben, c'mere buddy."

"Does he always act like this when Ben comes over?" Sara asks.

"Yeah," Phoebe tells her. "It's cute… in a Ross kinda way."

"Here are all his things," Susan, Carol's "life-partner" says, handing Ross a diaper bag and a small suitcase.

"Hello _Susan_," Ross hisses.

"Ross," she says coldly.

An awkward silence fills the room, but then Carol breaks it.

"I have parent-teacher conferences soon," she says. "So we should really get going."

Ross smirks, knowing that they're leaving and he finally gets to spend time with his son without his ex-wife hanging over him.

"Ben, say hi to Sara," Ross says, putting Ben down on the couch.

"Hi Sa-ah," he says.

"He can't really say his R's yet," Ross says with a chuckle.

"I can tell," she says.

"Did I hear that Ben's here?" Monica asks, practically running out of her bedroom.

"Annie Monica!" Ben cries. He holds up a Barbie doll. "Look what I got!"

"A Barbie doll?" she asks, sounding confused.

He nods.

"Did Mommy get that for you?" Sara asks him.

"Yeah!" he says, showing it to her.

Ross frowns.

"What's wrong Ross?" Monica asks her brother. "It's just a Barbie doll…"

"That's just it! He shouldn't be playing with it _because _it's a Barbie doll!" he cries.

"Listen," Sara starts. "I'll go across the hall and see if Joey or Chand- wait, Chandler wouldn't have any GI Joe dolls, would he?"

"Probably not," Rachel says. "I couldn't see Chandler ever playing with those."

"You're right," she says. "I'll just go ask Joey."

Sara goes across the hall and into Joey and Chandler's apartment. She's lived in New York for about three months now, and just like everyone else in the group, walks into the apartment like it's her own. She finds Joey sitting in one of the Barca Loungers in the middle of the living room, watching TV.

"Hey Joey," Sara says.

"Can't talk, watching Bay Watch," he says, not looking up from the TV.

She turns around and scrunches her face, thinking. Then she sees Mike in the hallway.

"Hey, you look cute when you're thinking," he says, walking into the apartment and giving her a peck on the lips.

"Thanks," she tells him. Suddenly, she thinks of something to get Joey's attention.

"Hey Joe, I have a fresh sandwich in the fridge," she tells him.

"A sandwich?" he says, jumping up from the chair. "What kind?"

Mike laughs under his breath.

"I don't know Joey," Sara sighs. "But I need your help with something."

"You wanna have sex?" he says in a flirty voice.

"_No_ Joey!" she cries. "My boyfriend is _right here_!" Mike puts an arm around her shoulders defensively. "Do you have any GI Joe dolls?"

"I think I might," he tells her. "Hold on." He goes into his bedroom.

"Are you still mad about that?" Sara asks her boyfriend, meaning when Joey asked her if she wanted to have sex with him when Mike was in the room.

"No, it just took me by surprise, that's all," he tells her.

"I would never have sex with him anyway," she assures him, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Good," he says with a smile. He brushes his lips against hers, and she kisses back.

Suddenly, the sound of things crashing and falling comes from Joey's room, making them stop.

"Sorry," Joey says, coming out of his bedroom. "Hope I wasn't interrupting anything…" He holds up a couple of slightly tattered and faded GI Joe dolls. "I found 'em… they're kinda old, but Ben'll probably like them."

"Thanks Joey," Sara says. "Ross is gonna be happy."

The couple goes across the hall again. They enter the apartment, and Monica is making a snack for Ben, Chandler is reading the paper, and Ross and Phoebe are watching PBS with Ben.

"I can't watch this Ross!" Phoebe cries. "Turn this off!"

"Why not?" he asks her curiously. "Everyone loves Sesame Street!"

"Not me," she says flatly. "Before my mom killed herself, she watched Sesame Street all the time."

Mike looks a little scared.

"Ben, look what me and Uncle Mike brought for you!" Sara exclaims. They walk over to the couch and Sara hands the GI Joe doll to him. He picks it up, looks at it, and then throws it on the ground.

"Barbie!" he cries.

"Ben," Mike says, kneeling down so he's eye level with him. "Don't you wanna be the 'Real American hero… GI Joe!'"

"Never again," Sara tells him.

He smiles sheepishly.


	6. Chapter 6

"Who's in the mood for some pizza?" Joey asks. "'Cause I know I am!"

Everyone is sitting in Joey and Chandler's apartment for once because Monica did an all out cleaning in her and Rachel's apartment. Ross and Monica are sitting on one of the Barca Loungers, and Joey in the other. Phoebe's sitting on the floor, and Chandler, Sara, and Mike are sitting on top of the kitchen counter.

"You're always in the mood for pizza Joey!" Rachel says.

"I'll call," Chandler says. "The Joey Special?"

Everyone agrees.

"The Joey Special?" Mike asks.

"Yeah, Joey orders from our usual pizza place so much that they named a special after him," Monica explains. "It's what he always orders: two medium pies."

"I see," Mike says. He takes Sara's hand in his and she leans her head on his shoulder.

_Oh God, Chandler says to himself. They are _so _lovey-dovey, it sickens me! They're even worse than Ross and Rachel were… it's like they're attached at the hip or something! Wait a minute, why do I even care?_

"Does anyone wanna play fooseball while we wait for the pizza?" Monica asks the gang. She loves anything that involves competition.

"Sure," Chandler says, hopping off the counter.

"I'll play too," Joey says, getting up from the recliner.

"I'm definitely playing!" Sara exclaims, following Chandler in suit by hopping off the counter.

"Oh God," Ross says. "Sara is just like Monica when it comes to competition and competitive stuff… all hell is gonna break loose." He pauses. "So I suggest that everyone steps back."

"Boys versus girls!" Monica exclaims.

"Are you kidding me?" Chandler argues. "You and Sara on the same team isn't fair!"

"Why, because we'll _win_?" Sara asks.

"No, because you'll both be super competitive," Joey whines.

"Fine, Chandler and Sara on one team, and Joey and me on the other," Monica finally agrees. "So it's fair."

"Be prepared," Ross mumbles to Phoebe, Rachel and Mike. "There's probably gonna be some fights."

"Oh stop it Ross," Phoebe says. "Over a game of fooseball? I don't think so…"

"You'll see," Ross says in a flamboyant tone.

Monica drops the small white ball onto the table.

* * *

"Go go go!" Monica screams at Joey.

"I'm tryin' I'm tryin'!" he cries.

"Come on come on!" Sara yells at Chandler.

"I know I know!" he yells back. He spins a row of his men, making the ball shoot towards Monica and Joey's goal.

"Block that!" Monica screams.

"I am!" Joey yelps.

He spins the row closest to the goal, but it spins backwards instead of forwards.

"Spin it _forward_!" Monica barks.

"That _was _forward!" Joey tells her.

"I guess someone missed school in kindergarten when everyone learned about directions," Chandler says sarcastically.

"Wait a minute," Sara says. "Joey made the ball go into his own goal?"

"Mhm," Chandler tells her.

"That means we won!" she cries.

"We did?" Chandler asks, sounding confused. "I mean- we did!"

Sara starts jumping up and down in excitement. Then on an impulse, she hugs Chandler nearly knocking him over. He notices she smells like vanilla, and it makes him shudder.

_Oh my God, _why _am I thinking about stuff like this? And about _Sara _of all people! It's so _wrong_! It's Ross' little cousin! _


	7. Chapter 7

Everyone is sitting around Monica, Rachel and now Sara's apartment. Chandler, Joey, Ross and Sara are watching a Rangers game, Monica is making dinner, Phoebe is fiddling with her guitar, and Rachel is reading a magazine.

"How can you watch this?" Rachel asks Sara. "It's just a bunch of guys pushing a puck around on ice…"

"It's not _just _that Rach," she says.

"Yeah, it takes strategy, and agility," Joey adds.

"Dinner's ready!" Monica announces. She places a plate of French toast on the table.

"French toast?" Ross asks his sister, sitting down at the table.

"Breakfast for dinner," she tells him simply.

He shrugs his shoulders and takes a piece of toast.

"This is awesome!" Joey says, sitting down at the table and taking three pieces of toast.

"Jeez Joey, save some for the rest of us," Phoebe says with a small laugh.

"I'm sorry, you guys know I love to eat!" he says.

"Can somebody get my plate?" Sara asks them. "I can't miss a second of this game, its tied 4 to 4!"

"It's a commercial!" Rachel exclaims.

"Alright alright," she says, walking over to the table, leaving Chandler on the couch.

They all sit at the small kitchen table and eat dinner.

A few minutes later, there's a knock on the door.

"It's open!" Monica shouts.

The door opens and Mike enters the apartment. He looks very excited.

"Hey guys," he says, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hi," Sara says, putting her plate in the dishwasher and walking over to her boyfriend. She gives him a quick kiss on the lips. "What's up?"

"I have great news!" he tells the friends.

"What is it?" Joey asks.

"Well, you guys know my band right?" he asks. "We're going on tour for two weeks, starting next week!"

"Wow, that's great!" Ross says, patting him on the back.

"We're going to a bunch of colleges and stuff on the East Coast," he explains.

"That's awesome," Chandler says.

"Listen, I gotta go," he tells Sara. "I have a gig for the breakfast crowd tomorrow at the restaurant and I gotta be up early… I'll see you before I leave though, okay?"

"Alright," she says, disappointed.

He leans down a kisses her, then heads towards the door.

"Love you," he says with a smile.

She blushes slightly. "Love you too!"

The apartment door slams shut.

"You guys are too cute!" Rachel exclaims.

"It makes me sick," Chandler mumbles.

"I wish I had someone who looks at me the way Mike looks at you," Monica tells Sara.

"Wait a second," Sara says suddenly. "Isn't… Valentine's Day next week?"

"Yeah, why?" Ross asks his cousin.

"Mike's not gonna be here on Valentine's Day!" she cries, sitting down on the couch next to Chandler again. "Great, I'm gonna be alone on Valentine's Day, and I have a boyfriend! There's something _very _wrong with that picture…"

"Don't worry," Phoebe says. "Since he's not gonna be here on the actual day, he'll make the day he comes back even more special."

"I hope you're right," Sara says with a sigh.


	8. Chapter 8

It's Valentine's Day, and Sara is sitting in her, Rachel and Monica's apartment, watching one of her favorite movies, "Dirty Dancing". Monica comes out of her bedroom dressed up.

"Now you're _sure _you're gonna be okay?" Monica asks her younger cousin. Everyone else is busy; Ross and Rachel are on a "not date", Joey is out trying to pick up girls at the grocery store of all places, Phoebe is on a date with her boyfriend David, and Monica is going out with her new boyfriend Pete.

"I'll be fine," she tells her, looking up from the TV. "I'm 23 years old for God's sake!"

"I know, but you've being moping around here all day," she says, sounding concerned.

"Well how would you feel if Pete wasn't here on Valentine's Day?" she asks.

"You have a point," Monica says, standing up.

Suddenly, there's a knock on the apartment door. Monica scurries to the door and opens it. Her new boyfriend, Pete, is standing in the doorway with flowers.

"Hi," she says giddily. He hands her the flowers. "You really didn't have to."

"It's Valentine's Day," he says. "I have to go all out…" He enters the apartment. "We should really get going, the reservation's at 7."

"Okay," she giggles. "Lemme just go get my jacket."

"Come on," Pete says, leading her out the door.

"Bye Sara!" Monica exclaims.

"Have fun," she says.

* * *

Sara's POV

I'm still watching "Dirty Dancing" when suddenly I hear the door click open. I turn around to see Chandler. He looks absolutely miserable, and it looks like he hasn't bothered to shave in a few days.

"Hey," I say sympathetically.

"Hi," he says, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of one of the cabinets.

"I didn't know you smoked," I say.

"I usually don't," he tells me. "But at times like these…"

"That's no reason to," I tell him. I get up and take the cigarettes out of his hand. "It's a sign of weakness."

"Fine," he mumbles. "How're you doing?"

"I'm alright," I say, looking away from him. "Have you heard of a razor?"

"I have no one I have to look nice for," he says solemnly. "There's no point."

The end credits of the movie rolled, and I shut off the TV.

"Come on, let's go across the hall," I say, getting up from the couch. "We can have some of those cookies Monica made."

"Alright alright," he says, following me.

We go into Joey and Chandler's apartment, and Joey is nowhere to be found.

"He went to Central Perk to try to pick up girls," he tells me.

"Really?" I ask.

"Yeah," he says, going into the kitchen. "Do you want anything?"

"I'll have… a few shots," I tell him. "Doesn't matter what kind."

"Ya know, you shouldn't get wasted because you're upset," he says, putting bottles onto the counter. I sit on one of the barstools and take one of the filled shot glasses.

"I'm all alone on Valentine's Day!" I cry.

"You've got me," he says with a smirk.

"Don't take this the wrong way Chandler," I tell him. "But… I don't see you that way."

"I didn't mean it like that," he says.

That was a lie, because I had sort of developed feelings for him over the past 5 months I'd gotten closer to him. When we first met, I was thirteen and he was eighteen, and I had only saw him as Ross' funny friend. But the next year, he came back to Uncle Jack and Aunt Judy's. Something had changed; he grew up I guess. So now, after getting to know him better, I guess I've fallen for him. But he only sees me as Ross' little cousin, nothing else.

* * *

We're still at Joey and Chandler's apartment, and it's pretty late. Chandler and I are sitting on the couch, just talking about past girlfriends and boyfriends. Boy, does Chandler have a lot of bad stories! I can't help laughing though; some of the stories are pretty ridiculous. The radio is playing in the background, it's mostly sappy love songs, but at least it's something.

"I'm dead serious!" he says. "She made me wear her panties, and then when we went into the bathroom to have sex, she snuck out of the stall and took my clothes! I had to leave the restaurant with the stall door."

"You're telling me she only wanted to humiliate you because you humiliated her in elementary school?" I ask.

"Yes!" he exclaims. He shudders, probably thinking about the night it happened.

There's an awkward silence between us, which rarely ever happens. I look around the room, trying to figure out something to talk about.

"Did I ever tell you why I haven't been in that many serious relationships? Besides Mike," I say suddenly.

"I don't think so," he says, moving around a little. He's looking me right in the eyes, and it's making me uneasy.

"Well, when I was in the 9th grade, I got rejected by two different guys within 4 months," I explain. "It left me really, really insecure and shyer than I already was, and my self-esteem was in the crapper."

He looks like he doesn't know what to say. "I… I'm sorry," he says.

"Mike's a great guy," I say. "He cares about me, he makes me happy… but now, with him being away on the tour for so long, I'm…" I sniffle. "I love you Chandler."

He smirked. "I love you too," he says, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"Not like that," I tell him.

_He thinks I mean I love him as a friend, I think. _

"I _love _you Chandler," I tell him again. "I had a crush on you when I was fourteen… and now that we're actually friends, I guess the feelings came back."

He looks at me with a blank expression on his face.

"It's okay," I tell him, a few tears rolling down my cheeks. "You can tell me the truth- you don't feel the same way."

"I-I don't know what to say," he whispers.

"Well, there's one thing I need to know," I tell him. "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton comes on the radio. I smile, because that's one of my favorite songs, and lean in and kiss him.

When we break apart, he has a surprised expression on his face. Now I'm full-on crying.

"I love this song," I say. "Eric Clapton… he's great."

"Yeah," he says, sounding like he's in a daze.

"I'm gonna go," I tell him, wiping the tears from my eyes. I get up from the couch and leave the apartment, leaving him there in a confused state.

(AN: I hope everyone liked this chapter! I've been dying to write this part, I don't know why. Anyways, remember to read and review!! And PS, if you haven't listened to "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton, you should… that song is amazing!)


	9. Chapter 9

(AN: I decided to change the tense of the story… just so it's not as confusing. I hope everyone likes it and remember to read and review!)

"Hey guys!" Sara said, walking into Central Perk. She sat down on one of the chairs beside the couch. "How was everyone's day?"

"Good," Ross told her. "Some kids messed up my homo-erectus display… if you know what I mean…"

"Haha," Joey laughed. "I get it."

"I think anyone over the age of 12 gets that one Joe," Chandler said.

She got up and got herself a cup of coffee.

"You drink coffee now?" Monica asked her cousin.

"Yeah, I've been needing the caffeine lately," she said.

_What the hell does she mean? Chandler thought. I hope it's not because of me… _

"So Joey, how's that movie going?" Phoebe asked.

"Oh… well, I went to where the letter said to go," he started. "And it turns out the whole thing was fake!"

"There'll be other movies sweetie," Rachel told him.

"I know," Joey said solemnly. "But I coulda been working with DeNiro! He was like, one of my heroes growing up!"

Just then, Mike entered Central Perk, holding something behind his back. He walked over to the couch and put his hands over Sara's eyes.

"Guess who," he said.

"Oh my God," Sara exclaimed. She turned around and saw him. "Mike!"

She jumped up from the couch and hugged him.

"They're adorable," Rachel said.

"Wait wait," Mike said. "It gets better." He pulled a red rose from behind his back.

"I didn't know you were such a romantic," Sara said.

"I try," he said with a half-smile.

"You are so sweet," she said, kissing him.

"_You are so sweet_," Chandler mumbled, mocking her.

Monica gave him a stern look.

"I think we should… go upstairs," Mike said quickly.

"Okay," Sara giggled.

Joey nodded his head.

They walked out of Central Perk hand in hand.

"What the hell Chandler?" Monica asked. "Do you have to make fun of everyone?"

"I can't help it," he said. "It's a habit."

* * *

"Sara?" Ross asked, walking into Monica, Rachel and Sara's apartment. "Are you in here?"

The others follow him in, and they hear sobbing coming from Sara's bedroom.

"Is that you Sara?" Joey asked.

"Of course it's her!" Rachel said. "I wonder what's wrong…"

Monica went over to Sara's bedroom door and lightly knocked.

"It's Monica," she told her. "Can I come in?"

"I don't care," Sara sobbed.

She opened the door to see Sara sitting on her bed, back against the headboard. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her cheeks were stained with tears.

"What happened honey?" she asked, walking into the room and sitting on the edge of Sara's bed.

"M-Mike," she stammered. "He broke up with me!"

"What? Why?" Monica asked.

"Well, we were… making out and then all of a sudden before things got crazy, he stopped," she explained. "And he took my hands, and told me at one of the concerts, his ex-girlfriend who he was with before me for like four years was there, and he realized…" she couldn't finish what she was going to say because she started crying.

"What'd he realize?" Monica asked.

"He realized he was still in love with _Karen_," she told her cousin. She sniffled loudly.

"Oh honey," she sympathetically. "I know it sucks… but there'll be other guys."

"I was with him for 4 months Mon!" she exclaimed. "He told me he loved me, _and _he gave me the Past Masters CD!"

"Listen," she said, moving to the side of the bed. "I'll make a cake, right now."

"Thanks Mon," she said solemnly. "But you really don't have to."

"I want to," she said.

"Fine," she mumbled.

Monica walked out of the room, and Sara turns on her CD player and blasts the CD Mike gave her. It's playing "From Me to You."

Suddenly there was another knock on her door. She paused the song.

"Come in," she told them.

Chandler and Ross entered the room.

"Hey," Ross said in his usual way. "You okay?"

"I've been better," she said. Chandler looked at her, and she quickly turned away from his gaze. She couldn't stand to see him right now. "I'm gonna… go out on the balcony."

"It's cold out there," Ross told her.

She walked out of the room, into the kitchen and out the small window that led to the balcony.

"This has to be the worst week ever," Sara said once she was out there. "Nothing's gone right so far…"

Chandler climbed out the window and onto the balcony, hearing what she had said.

"Hi," he said in a low voice, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear.

She jumped a little, and turned around.

"Hi," she said, sniffling a little again. "What're you doing out here?"

"I wanted to see if you were okay," he said, standing beside her and leaning against the concrete wall. "You've been through more than one person should have to go through in one day."

"Why do you even care?" she asked him, getting upset.

"Hey, no more crying," he told her, tilting her chin up with his fingers. He wiped the tears that trickled down her cheeks. He looked out at the city. "And I care… because I'm your friend, aren't I?"

"Yeah," she said. "But… I don't know. Isn't it… awkward for you now?"

"Why would it be awkward?" he chuckled.

"Oh I don't know," she started. "Maybe because I kissed my best friend?"

"I- wait, I'm your best friend?" he asked curiously.

"Well, besides Monica," she said shyly. "Yeah."

He smirked.


End file.
